Grandstream will not register phone plus other issues with FF150 + voip

[btcolin]

I am a long-time TalkTalk/Tiscali customer (more than 20 years!). I had been on what I found out was FF65 plus copper landline for more than 2 years. My plan came to an end and I suddenly started getting charged north of £33 per month after being on low £20s for the previous plan.

I got in touch with TT and they advised me that my best offer would be FF150 + Voip.

So I agreed to the upgrade.

They organised an Open Reach Engineer to come and "install" the system.

My equipment arrived by post.

I chatted with TT and asked if I could install the equipment as I already had FTTP and asked if I really needed an engineer visit. We agreed that I would install the Eero and Grandstream as I already had the working FF65.

I got the Eero up and running with the Grandstream connected and interacting with the Eero.

The engineer came at his allotted time and checked my installation and said he had been asked to install a completely different fibre to cat6 (OTR?) router, but advised that this wasn't necessary. 

He checked what I had done and said it is all connected correctly, and to wait until TT switch me to the FF150 plus voip.

So here is the problem:

My switch day was 17th July.

I received a text from TT to say that my FF150 package had been activated.

I checked this and found that my speed was still the same as the FF65 and my telephone only worked on the old copper line. 

I therefore assumed that my new package had not been activated.

Back on to TT chat on 18th July am. I was shuffled around a few "experts" and told to give it a little time.

Later that day my copper telephone connection dropped. So I checked again.

Still same speed as FF65 and my grandstream voip box said "device not registered"

I got back on to TT chat in the afternoon of the 18th and was tossed around like a hot potato between all sorts of very polite "experts" and after more than 2.5 hours! I was told that the system needed to adjust itself.

I've now waited for the system to "adjust itself" but I still have the same FF65 speed and the same "device not registered from the voip box.

I've reset the Grandstream, I've turned off and on the Eero, all to no avail. still FF65 speed and same voip box message.

Oh and I also got an email from TT saying the package was switched on!

I'm not wet behind the ears with computers and still think that TT haven't properly checked that they have "switched on" my package properly.

HELP

[btcolin]

Hi Michelle. Yes they have. They have booked to call me on Friday after the engineer's visit.

Cheers Colin 

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Hi Colin,

Apologies, it sounds like an automated email. Can I just confirm, have the Complaints Team agreed to contact you back on a certain date?

Michelle

[btcolin]

Just to add salt into the wound... I've just received the "Sorry your leaving" email.

What a terrible upgrade path. It doesn't instill confidence that everything will go smoothly from now on, especially with my experience do date. 

It's about time TT reveiwed their upgrade procedures so other TT customers don't go through this type of systematic unprofessional experience!

Cheers Colin 

[btcolin]

Hi Michelle

Fingers crossed 🤞 

Cheers Colin 

[btcolin]

Hi Fergerson,  yes I do that when I need to and swap back when finished as I don't know exactly when they're going to actually do the switch over.

Cheers Colin 

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Hi Colin,

Thanks for the update. Hopefully the Complaints Team can try and bring this date forward for you.

Michelle

[ferguson]

 Just a thought: can you not disconnect the Grandstream, seeing as it isn't active, freeing up a port for now? 

[btcolin]

Hi Michelle

I received a call from the complaints department today. Amina explained the situation to me and said that Nikita from  yesterday had closed my FF65. However this will actually happen on the 19th August and then my FF150 will automatically connect in its place. She has programmed an engineer to visit me on Friday to check my VOIP box etc. Then she said she'd call me after he's been. So it looks like I'll have to wait until the 19th for the upgrade to take effect. Meanwhile I cannot connect my PC to the Eero because the VOIP grandstream is using the second ethernet port. So I'm snookered not being able to use my PC and ethernet printer.

I requested that she try to bring the date forward. 

I cannot believe that what I  consider a simple upgrade has to follow such a tortuous stressful path.

Cheers Colin 

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning Colin,

I'm glad to hear that the team have made contact and please let us know how you get on.

Thanks

Michelle

[btcolin]

Hello Michelle, 

I received a call from an executive department today. The person, Nikita I think, has begun actioning my physical upgrade. She went through small print for me to agree to FF65 cessation and told me that FF150 + VOIP would seamlessly take over. 

Fingers crossed it happens soon without issues.

I also received two sms messages saying an executive complaints manager would call in a couple of days.

Thank you for helping speed things up.

Cheers Colin 

[btcolin]

Thank you Michelle.  Hopefully this might initiate some action.

I'm reluctant to call again as my patience is rather ragged at the moment.

Cheers Colin 

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Hello,

I've contacted our CEO Complaints Team now and have asked if they can provide an update ASAP.

Thanks

Michelle

[Gliwmaeden2]

Yes, @btcolin. 

Normally it's a cease service first to upgrade and to add the VOIP. Sounds like a rigmarole, but would have been smoother than this in the end!

[btcolin]

Morning Chris.  Yes... I'm aware of that and it's logical. However that was what the first Openreach engineer said to me when he visited. He said that the TT order to OR had asked for this. 

It seems to me that TT have not designed an upgrade path from one fibre speed to another, otherwise all this elephantine ballet would not be happening.

I just want it fixed so I can have my landline reinstated on voip, and get on with my life.

Cheers Colin 

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi Colin,

As far as I'm aware the ONT supplied is always just a standard ONT, we don't ask Openreach to supply differnent ones for different customers - Set up your Wi-Fi Hub for Full Fibre - TalkTalk Help & Support

Chris

[Gliwmaeden2]

Staff will be back after the weekend, @btcolin. Sorry see this dragging on for you.

[btcolin]

Silly question time:

If Openreach had installed a multiport ONT as originally ordered by TT, rather than tell me I didn't need it, would all of this huge hassle, continuing waste of time and money,  and loss of trust not happened?

Cheers Colin 

[btcolin]

I waited until about 4pm but no call back. So I called again and went through all the same questions and holds and ended up with a tech guy in the Philippines again. He tried his best to unscramble all the interdepartmental red tape, but sadly he couldn't progress past the same brick wall I keep hitting which is a misalignment. He escalated this.

In total I spent 4 hours and 13 minutes on the phone to Talktalk today and I'm no further on than I've been since my upgrade "went live" on 18th July.

Frustration and stress. 

Cheers Colin 

[btcolin]

Hi Chris.  I called the loyalty team this morning at 9am. I again had to explain my problem but he had a lot more info on this episode's history. He spent a while analysing this and then directed me to the full fibre team. I think the expert there understood the problem of misalignment and put me on hold. After being on hold for a while, the call dropped. I waited a while to see if she would call back. I gave it a while, but called loyalty back again as I thought I'd waited long enough. This time my call eventually ended up in the Philippines in the technical department.  The guy was difficult to understand but we managed to communicate.  He said my problem was also misalignment. So he said he'd get it actioned but warned me that there was a long queue and it might take some time. He said he'd call back with the result.

So I'm currently waiting for the callback.

I hope it'll be soon. 

Cheers Colin 

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi Colin,

Just checked and there doesn't appear to be any further updates at the moment. We'll check again on Monday

Chris